Platt’s Eyot

Platt’s Eyot, Richmond upon Thames

The westernmost and one of the largest of London’s Thames islets

A steep and wooded path leads down to the north riverbank on Platt’s Eyot

The words ‘eyot’ and ‘ait’ are used inter­changeably to denote the small islands of the Thames and the two are pronounced identically. Platt’s Eyot is linked by a narrow bridge to the Lower Sunbury Road.

Until the 1880s osiers were grown here, a species of willow used for basket-making. The islet owes its hilly topography to the dumping of soil excavated during the creation of additional filter beds at Hampton water­works at the end of the 19th century.

Platt’s Eyot was home to the Thorneycroft boatyard, which built torpedo boats in the two world wars. In 1994 The Independent described the old yard as “now suffi­ciently mellow in appearance to be considered part of the pictur­esque confusion rather than an indus­trial eyesore.” The islet was also formerly a base for the river police.

Although its features are on a small scale, Platt’s Eyot has an unexpected amount of both woodland and light industry, together with amenities like a café and public conveni­ences provided for workers and sailors. Many of the islet’s workshops and studio units presently lie empty, but its moorings are almost fully occupied.

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